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Craig — Moffat County High School wrestler Matt Kincheloe sauntered into the wrestling room for practice Wednesday with a stone-cold look on his face.

His eyes appeared distant and black as he changed into practice gear, preparing for the weekend's task in front of him.

"This is what it's all about," the senior said. "This is our last chance to make an impact in our wrestling careers. It's all about this weekend."

A season's worth of hard work by the Bulldog wrestling team has tapered down to this weekend's events, and not just for Kincheloe, for all the wrestlers.

Moffat County High School is the site for this year's state regional tournament, with trips to the state championships on the line.

"This is it," coach Roman Gutierrez said. "This is what we've worked all year for - a chance to go to state."

The Bulldogs are one of 17 teams competing for a spot in the state tourney next weekend in Denver, but some of the MCHS wrestlers believe they have an advantage against the other 16 teams.

"We are at home this time," sophomore Nathan Tomlin said. "We should have a better chance because of the home crowd. It's great that we get a chance to prove ourselves in a place we are comfortable."

Moffat County has had its share of what Gutierrez said is a season "full of ups and downs," but he also said he thinks the downs are far behind the team.

"We've been getting a lot better lately," he said. "We have progressed nicely in the last two or three weeks. I'm expecting a strong showing out there on the mat this weekend.

"And I think having the home crowd behind us will be an advantage that the other team's won't have."

Last year, the Bulldogs qualified nine wrestlers for the state championships, and Gutierrez admitted he didn't expect that many last year and doesn't expect that many this year.

"Hey, last year we didn't think that many would go, and they did," he said. "Who knows - if we perform well, it might happen again."